The Gulf of Aqaba, also known as the Gulf of Eilat, is a large gulf of the Red Sea. Geologically, the Gulf of Aqaba is an integral part of the Great Rift Valley that runs from East Africa northwards though the Red Sea into southwest Asia. The northern end of the Red Sea is bifurcated by the Sinai Peninsula, creating the Gulf of Suez in the west and the Gulf of Aqaba in the east. The Gulf, measuring 24 km at its widest point, stretches some 160 km north from the Straits of Tiran, ending where the southern border of Israel meets the borders of Egypt and Jordan. At this junction are three separate cities: Taba in Egypt, Eilat in Israel, and Aqaba in Jordan. All serve both as strategically important ports and (more recently) as popular resort destinations for tourists seeking to enjoy the warm climate of the Gulf of Aqaba.
The main attraction of Eilat is diving in the Red Sea (actually an inlet from the sea known as the Gulf of Eilat or Aqaba), one of the world's most spectacular underwater preserves.
Eilat's importance gradually declined, particularly after the Ottoman Turks built a new port at nearby Aqaba.
Eilat was, however, an important port dating to the reign of King Solomon.
Adjacent to the Egyptian city of Taba and Jordanian (previously Saudi) port of Aqaba, Eilat is located at the northern tip of the Gulf of Eilat, which is the eastern sleeve of the Red Sea (the western leading to the Suez Canal).
Eilat is named after the Biblical Elath, which now corresponds to modern neighboring Aqaba.
Eilat's weather is very hot and dry due to its proximity to the Negev, Sinai, Arabian and Sahara deserts.
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